Greetings from Scott-EDIT

First, I am going to high jack Scott's post just to say that today's prize is a Reversible Cafe Apron made out of Amy Butler's Temple Garden Fabric. Photo to be posted later today. All you have to do is leave a comment on today's post before midnight to win. Now on to Scott.


Well what the hell? First of all I found out yesterday that I may have a new JOB yeahhhh! The good news is it may help us out in a very good way. It includes a lot more hours per week meaning bigger checks. I also get to travel for my new job.

First of all, if I get past all the red tape crap and background stuff, it's on to Houston for 3 weeks of training and more test. Then its on to Dubai. That"s the cool country that made its own islands "The Palms, and The World" Google the image or that Google earth thingy its cool looking. Then I end up in Baghdad for the remainder of the year. Yes I know what a dumb ass. There's a war going on over there. Well I will be stationed in the Green Zone, this is basically an international safe zone and very well protected. I will be doing all sorts of construction tasks, basically providing more habitat for our men and women over there kicking ass and taking names. This might include housing, warehouse space and so forth. I will be working 7 days a week 12 hour days minimum for 120 days then I get 10 days off. Hopefully I can meet the family somewhere for some R&R. The bad news is that Iraq is a dry country the whole damn place I cant get a cold beer any where!!!!

I know a lot of you are think how can you do this to you family, just leave them and go someplace that you may get killed or injured. And I ask you how can I not do this for my family that I love more then anything in the world. See if I don't do this we are going to risk loosing everything that we have worked so hard for. I have taken such a large pay loss in my industry just to stay working that we are no longer making ends meet. In fact the ends are getting farther away. The way I see it is it's a my way of providing a future for my loved ones.

Now the bad news, I also found out Friday that my Aunt Dorthy passed away in the morning. She was my moms sister, they were very close as only sisters could be. I know she knows that we all loved her deeply. Please keep her family and my mom in your prayers this is a very difficult time for them all and they need your strength to carry on.

Post 200

That's right this is post number 200!!! And just days before my 2nd Blog-A-Versary. Sorry to say this was not be an amazing blog entry.

I am here today to give you some highlights of what's to come in next weeks Blog-A-Versary Celebration. First Scott will be kicking off the week with the first post tomorrow. There will be daily give aways. If you love the daily give away and don't win it you will be able to purchase a copy of the prize of at Kumquat Kewtie, my Etsy shop. Each post will be timed to publish at 12:01am Pacific Standard Time. To be eligible for the daily prize you will have to publish a comment on that day before midnight. I will draw a name the following day. There will also be a second chance drawing of all the non prize winners at the end of the week.

Last night we had a wonderful time at dinner with Kymn and Brian. Thank you both so much!!! We had a great time. Today I finished piecing my president's challenge blocks as part of the Quiltathon with Judy. I can't post a photo because my fellow guild members read my blog and is has to remain a mystery or I get the boot from the contest for favoritism. Sorry guys. The photos will be published on the 4th Thursday in February at 7pm PST. Tonight we are headed to my parents for a BBQ with the family. Aunt Steph and Uncle Victor are here from Reno.

It's Just A Friday

Our day has been filled with twists, turns, news and excitment. I don't have the time right now to reveal all. Just know some of our news was good and some bad. A door was opened and another was closed.

We have turned a corner and have a crazy journey ahead of us. We will need tons of support from friends and family for the next 14 months. Yea more than normal.

On to the highlight of Just A Friday...WE, Scott and I, get to go have big people dinner tonight with our friends Kymn and Brian. By some amazing luck they were able to farm out their 3 small children all in the same night and we were able to farm out our 1 small child. We are headed to the Waterloo baby!!! Good food with Good friends. And NO chicken nuggets.

Happenings...

A few things have been going on the last few days and our lives are a little more hectic than normal. With that said on to the good stuff!

Last night I had the opportunity to go with friends to Liz's Quilting Estate Sale. It was a wonderful night getting to share memories of Liz and her projects with friends. Natalie, Thank You. Thank you for allowing us to have part of your mom too. She is missed by all of us. Liz was Queen of the UFO's. So of course I bought a few. Because I am only a UFO Princess.

My truck is in the shop for a few days. My 4-wheel drive is jacked. Debbie at Chase is taking good care of me. We are hopeful to get my truck back tomorrow. In the mean time I am back in my dad's truck.

And last but not least my Blog-a-versary is next Wednesday. My blog turns 2 on the 14th. Starting Sunday we will be posting daily, having daily prizes, one day I will have a guest poster Scott, and more. A big THANK YOU to Kymn for my blog-a-versary button. A little something headed your way too.

A Day Off, I Need Two

Today I fighting off the crud that many people have had and shared. I really hope it doesn't last the two weeks like some people have had it. I am laying low and living on OJ and Mucinex. Wish me luck!

Last night was Tuesday Night Sewing. I got my Ribbon Quilt cut out. I started cutting the stripes at the angle. I am hoping to get it done soon. Mine is going to be Black, White, and Blue! Yep Blue! I can't wait. I am making it in the throw size 49 x 59". I have some great Black with White polka dot flannel that is waiting to be the back. I was also able to cut some Kona Cotton Snow for "Over the Hills..." blackwork. I am hoping to trace one of the sections this week so I can have a hand project.

Today I found out from Rachel's blog that Bunny Hill Designs is doing a free block of the month. It is called A Tisket, A Tasket. I have downloaded the first block. I don't know if I will be able to do this one this year too but I am going to down load the patterns each month for when I need another hand project.

Many of you ask "Do you ever Sleep?" Yes "How do you get so much done?" I just do. I read today on Judy's blog her answers to these very same questions. I realized my answers are similar. A big part of the way I get stuff done is:
1. Don't sweat the small stuff.
2. Shop once ever 10 days and do it all at once.
3. 1 hour every night locked in my sewing studio alone!
4. When I get up in the morning FUNCTION! No sipping coffee, browsing the news, ect. Pound a Diet Pepsi and go.
5. Use the Crock Pot many times a week, not a lot of time cooking dinner.
6. I am not the only one living here, delegate.

Busy New Year!

We have started off the year being very productive! We most likely wont end that way! Really.

So hear we go. I gave up deep cleaning my room in order to get Poop's room done. Sears after 3 days was finally able to locate her mattress and box springs. We picked up my dad's truck and headed back to Sacramento. First stop quilt shop, more in a minute, second stop Sears Warehouse. We got the mattress and head home to clean out Poop's room. I still need to get the closet and Armoir done but we got a good start on it. By 8:45pm last night we had the princess bed put together. Here it is...

After we got the bed made I asked Poop "how do you like your princess and the pea bed?" Poop asked "who pee in my bed?" We were laughing to hard to tell her the story of the Princess and the Pea and she was PISSED that someone already peed in her new bed.

Papa came over today to swap out trucks again and got to be the first to see her bed. I watched my dad's blood pressure rise. The bed is about three feet of the ground, Poop tells you "do it myself." Dad just knew she was going to fall off. She showed him a few times how she does it.

Before we picked up the mattress we stopped at Quilter's Corner in Rancho Cordova. I was in need of thread to quilt my Presidents Challenge project. Sorry my project has to remain Top Secret until the voting in February. Can you believe this I bought NO Fabric!!!! I am doing Judy's Stash Busting Challenge this year so I have decided if I don't need it for a project or I am not totally in love with it I don't need it! So I bought 3 patterns along with my Thread.

First is Crabapple Hill's Over the River and Through the Woods. The top, middle and bottom stripes are done in Black work and are gorgeous! I saw a customers finished quilt and had to have the pattern.

Second pattern is again from Crabapple Hill. It is Hocuspocusville! Their are a dozen witches shops. Everything from a quilt shop, laundry, cafe, broom sales and more! I can't wait to start this one!

The last pattern I got was Ribbons Quilt by The Pine Needle. Quilter's Corner had darling kits in a floral pastel for this quilt and I was tempted to get one. I am thinking about making this out of Black White and Turquoise for my other Challenge Blog.
This weekend I have also been productive quilting. I have made more than half of my blocks for my Guild"s President's Challenge, American Patchwork & Quilting Journal Cover for my Stash Buster log, started my Calendar Quilt Challenge, and I am finishing up a Glam Bag! I am off do more laundry.

Happy New Year!!!

Out with the old and in with the new! With that said I have been deep cleaning my bedroom. Now doesn't that sound fun!!!

I am off this weekend and have exciting things planned. 1. Clean. Finish the bedroom, you know the closets, flip the mattress, under the bed and wipe down the baseboard. WOW who wants to come help? My next exciting thing to do this weekend is sew. 2. Sew. I am working on my Guild President's Challenge which is top secret. So unfortunately I can't post pictures. Big shock since I rarely post photos anyway. I am also going to make a few Glam Bags since I have to do a stash report on Sunday and I am in need of some out yardage.

This year I have joined a few other Blog Challenges. First is Judy's Stash Busters, my goal is to use 104 yards more fabric than I purchase this next year. I will keep a tally to the left but my reports will be posted every Sunday on my Stash and Scrap blog. The second challenge is The Black and White Quilt Challenge Project. You basically have to finish one quilt this year that uses Black, White and one other color. There is tons of inspiration over on that blog and I am currently working on 2 quilts all from my stash! And the last quilt blog challenge I joined is the Calendar Quilt Challenge 2009. So quilters check out some of the challenges and join me.

I guess it is back to the cleaning and sewing.